Cute, Cozy, Queer Stories

Part 19: Charlie & Baylee

Holding his breath, Charlie glanced a Baylee without raising his head. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her shoulder and pool on the art table at the edge of her drawing. Her head tilted, her long lashes covering her gaze as she studied the drawing. Charlie glanced at it—a dark-skinned woman with a wide, luminous smile. She wasn't quite penciled in, but Charlie thought she recognized the woman. It was a beautiful drawing—professional level, Charlie thought. Baylee was so talented.

He glanced back at his own paper—a dull sketch of an eyeball—before looking up at her again. He studied her hands—long, elegant fingers with pink and blue polish—her arms, her shoulders, the curve of her neck. He'd made a portrait of her in his mind with a thousand stolen glances.

"Hey, Charlie?"

With fire rising into his cheeks, he looked back down at his paper.

"Ch-Charlie?"

He looked up at her. "Huh? What? Did you say something?"

She gave a small smile. For a fearful, insane instant, Charlie thought she read his mind.

"Can you pass that blending stick?" She pointed towards the narrow gray stub at his elbow.

"Sure. Yeah. Mmhmm." Swiveling around, he knocked the blending stick to the floor. "Crap. Sorry."

Slipping off the stool, he looked around for the blending stick on the tile floor. Under the tall table, he saw her jeans and pink Doc Martins. She's the only one at the table. This is it. Make a move, dude!

Recovering the blending stick, he sat back down and passed it to her.

She smiled again. Her lips were glossy pink. "Thanks."

He opened his mouth, but no words came. He just stared at her, his mind disastrously blank.

Slowly, she looked back up. "Wh-what?"

"I was just wondering if, um..." He'd planned this out. He'd rehearsed it in his head a hundred times. Andy even gave him the perfect idea; Invite her over to practice trivia with you. You're both in quiz bowl, right? It was a good plan. Not to forward, totally reasonable.

"Y-you're in quiz bowl." That was all that came out.

Confusion knotted her brow. "Uh, yeah. We're on the same team," she said slowly. "There's only five people..."

Shaking his head, Charlie laughed. "No, no, I know. I know. I was wondering, um... if you... Do you, um..." He swallowed. "Who are you drawing?"

"Oh," looking back at the drawing, she shrugged a shoulder, "her name's Laverne Cox. She's an actress."

"Oh, right, I knew I recognized her. Andy loves that show, um, what is it? Orange is the New Black."

"She's in a lot of other stuff too." Baylee smiled shyly. "She's so cool."

"She really is." Charlie struggled to think of just one of the eighty things Andy had told him about the actress. But nothing came. "That's a really good drawing. You're incredible."

She looked up, meeting his eyes.

"Th-the drawing. The drawing's incredible," he said quickly.

"Oh. Thanks."

Shit. No. You're incredible. You're incredible! 

The bell rang.

Baylee closed her drawing book and put it under her tablet, standing up. "See you, Charlie."

Charlie swiveled, opening his mouth to speak, but she was gone. He exhaled as the rest of the class filed out, leaving him sitting at the table. "I am. So. Stupid."